Overrun with snakes

[yellowherb]

I live in florida and it seems every year when it's wet snakes come to my bird aviaries. I haven't lost any of my chickens to snakes and we haven't ever found a venomous one, but the rat snakes and chicken snakes are decimating my finch population. The aviaries are 1/2" hardware cloth.

We have indigo's which are not a problem, I've seen those go thru a flock of chicks and not pay any attention to them at all. But red rats, grey rats and chicken snakes/corn snakes are killing the babies. We have killed 4 ck snakes and 1 rat so far this week. Snake away stuff that smells of mothballs doesn't work.

Any ideas? the chickens free range so preferably something chicken safe.

 

[Poticus]

Some guineas might keep the snakes away. What breed of chickens do you have? Do the hens out up a fight?

 

[Donna R Raybon]

you must have hole bigger than half inch that snakes are getting through. I would be looking for tunnels that rats have dug as pathway into finches.

 

[yellowherb]

My husband said no guineas I just couldn't talk him into it.

While I can not say we have NO rats, they have not been a problem. There are no holes large enough for rats to get into the aviaries. I have button quail on the aviary floors as cleaners and we have a large barred owl who visits at night and keeps the rodent population down with the help of our cat.

I think we are looking at having to screen in the aviaries. Thanks for the replies